How to hire a flight operations director

How to hire a flight operations director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step flight operations director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a flight operations director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new flight operations director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a flight operations director, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect flight operations director also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of flight operations directors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Flight Operations Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Flight Operations Director		$35-80
   Traffic Manager	The main job of a traffic manager is to make sure that account service marketing collateral works and flows efficiently to production and creative departments. Traffic managers take responsibility for keeping everyone in the team on task and the projects on deadline... Show more	$17-49
   Terminal Manager	Terminal managers are professionals who are responsible for managing workers and direct dispatching activities of logistics vehicles. These managers are required to develop relationships with corporate and operational departments so that they can ensure the company logistics standards are met... Show more	$26-47

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Flight Operations
   • FAA
   • Federal Aviation
   • OPS
   • Air Traffic Control

   Responsibilities:

   • Finance and billing accountability across Medicaid, manage care commercial insurance, insurance verification, contract management, and benefits administration.
   • Ensure compliance with all FAA regulations and company policies.
   • Work diligently along with FAA to put in place new company specific emergency procedures.
   • Design company website, PowerPoint presentation, brochure, profile, machinery list & factory production capacity information for marketing purposes.
   • Design and engineer station sortation layout to maximize productivity and to integrate new home delivery process in station during holiday season.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your flight operations director job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A flight operations director salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, flight operations directors' average salary in hawaii is 56% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level flight operations directors earn 56% less than senior-level flight operations directors.
   • Certifications. A flight operations director with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a flight operations director's salary.

   Average flight operations director salary

   $111,928yearly

   $53.81 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level flight operations director salary

   $74,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

4. Writing a flight operations director job description

   A job description for a flight operations director role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a flight operations director job description:

   Flight operations director job description example

   COVID\-19 continues to significantly impact our employees, families and communities\. With employee health and safety as our top priority, and as a federal contractor, Lockheed Martin is taking action to address the increased risk and uncertainty COVID\-19 variants pose in the workplace and ensuring we meet our commitments to national security\.
   
   To uphold safety for all employees, we will continue to request vaccination status for all Lockheed Martin employees including new hires\. All current and newly hired employees are required to follow onsite safety measures based upon the COVID\-19 Community Level at the specific work location\.
   
   **Description:** Supports tactical pilot proficiency training in the F\-35 simulator by applying advanced technical concepts in the area of aviation and provides assistance in creation of training material\. This position is typically represented by experienced former military aircrew, air intercept controllers \(airborne or ground based\) or those with an extensive technical simulations background\. At Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, we are driven by innovation and integrity\. We believe that by applying the highest standards of business ethics and visionary thinking, everything is within our reach - and yours as a Lockheed Martin employee\. Lockheed Martin values your skills, training and education\. Come and experience your future\!
   
   F\-35 Tactical Simulator Operator\. Supports military pilot flight procedures in maintaining qualification levels in the Pilot Training Device by executing approved pilot training syllabi, upgrade, and tactics training\. Operator will facilitate pilot proficiency training using the Full Mission Simulator \(FMS\) and/or Deployable Mission Rehearsal Trainer \(DMRT\)\. The operator will primarily operate the Instructor Operating Station \(IOS\) and will ensure scenarios are executed per training standards to support pilot proficiency training and tactics development\. Missions may have the operator acting as various FAA controlling agencies, forward air controllers, air intercept controllers, running the red forces tactical employment and conducting debriefs\. The successful candidate will work closely with other members of the Lockheed Martin team and military pilots at dedicated training sites to fulfill F\-35 training and continuation training objectives\. The successful candidate will implement and support Lockheed Martin initiatives, programs and policies, as directed\.
   **Basic Qualifications:**
   
   Candidates must have a Final Transferable Secret security clearance\. A current security clearance with investigation within 6 years\. Candidate must have any or have a combination of; flight time in USN/USMC/USAF aircraft as an aircrew member, ground based controller \(GCI\) experience, or have credible former flight simulations technical experience\. Candidate must have some form of prior experience with military simulations training\. Must have knowledge of military publications and a basic understanding of fourth and/or fifth generation aircraft systems\. Use of Microsoft Office products \(Word, PowerPoint and Excel\) is required\. Candidate must have outstanding interpersonal skills and strong oral & written communication abilities\.
   
   Candidates must be able to attain and maintain Special Access Program \(SAP\) access\.
   
   Candidate must be willing to support flexible work hours to align with customer operational schedule\.
   
   Position may require candidate to participate in deployed operations to support customer requirements\.
   
   **Desired Skills:**
   
   Graduate from a weapons school such as Marine Corps Weapons and Tactics Instructor course or Topgun as a ground \(or airborne\) based controller desired\.
   
   Standard Job Description :
   
   Helps to develops training curriculum, and orientation materials to be employed during procedures, simulation, and/or flight training\. Conducts simulator training sessions, debriefings, and proficiency checks with the flight simulators in accordance with training standards and and company policies and procedures\. Reviews simulator scenario design and training effectiveness to provide maximum proficiency\. Coordinates utilization schedules for training flight crews and necessary engineering support\.
   
   **BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:**
   
   job\.Qualifications
   
   **Lockheed Martin is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer\. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status\.**
   
   Join us at Lockheed Martin, where your mission is ours\. Our customers tackle the hardest missions\. Those that demand extraordinary amounts of courage, resilience and precision\. They're dangerous\. Critical\. Sometimes they even provide an opportunity to change the world and save lives\. Those are the missions we care about\.
   
   As a leading technology innovation company, Lockheed Martin's vast team works with partners around the world to bring proven performance to our customers' toughest challenges\. Lockheed Martin has employees based in many states throughout the U\.S\., and Internationally, with business locations in many nations and territories\.
   
   **EXPERIENCE LEVEL:**
   
   Experienced Professional

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find flight operations directors for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your flight operations director job on Zippia to find and recruit flight operations director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit flight operations directors, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new flight operations director

   Once you've selected the best flight operations director candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new flight operations director first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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